Project Development

Challenges

In today's regulatory climate, project developers face significant challenges on many fronts.  They must comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations, and must coordinate with multiple jurisdictions and regulatory agencies.  Developers must also cooperate with local communities and a variety of stakeholders to address concerns and minimize litigation risk.  Once project developers obtain permits, they often need to defend them against appeals.

Experience

Perkins Coie has the experience and resources to counsel and help project developers overcome these challenges. We work on complex, contentious projects, from site selection, to permitting and development, to operation.  We have a successful record of assisting developers on a wide variety of:

• Infrastructure projects, including: mining, oil and gas, water supply, highway, pipelines, telecommunications, and transmission projects;
• Generation projects, including; traditional coal, gas and geothermal projects,
• Renewable energy projects including wind, solar, biomass and other technologies; and
• Mining, forest products, tribal, real estate and recreational projects.

Advice  

Our legal strategies and advice prioritize avoiding legal challenges and litigation.  We provide strategic advice and representation needed to achieve timely and cost-effective regulatory compliance.  We also help project sponsors build relationships that will minimize the cost and risk of future litigation and NIMBY challenges. We regularly counsel clients on national and state environmental protection regulation including NEPA and its state counterparts, and assist them to build defensible environmental impact and assessment studies. We help clients obtain permits required by the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and other federal, state and local programs. We assist clients in developing strategies to comply with the Endangered Species Act and other wildlife laws.  As new projects often face climate change-related challenges, we develop effective, practical advice that will help position projects to meet the challenges of this emerging area of law.

Strategies

Our extensive experience gives developers practical advice and strategies to keep within budgets and schedules, and we identify future risks at early stages.  If projects are challenged, we provide the strongest possible advocacy and litigation defense.  We have a track record of successfully defending major development projects in federal and state courts and before administrative tribunals.

Leadership

Our lawyers have diverse backgrounds and a broad base of knowledge in the field.  Many Perkins Coie attorneys are recognized leaders in the fields of law that govern project development, and many have previously served in senior positions at state and federal regulatory agencies.  Our lawyers teach at leading law schools, lead efforts to address cutting-edge environmental and natural resource-related issues, and serve as officers and directors of national and regional legal and trade associations.

National Practice Group

We are a nationally recognized firm in this area.  Our Environment, Energy & Resources practice has more than 80 attorneys, which assures we can address the full spectrum of issues facing any project.  We function as a national group and marshal efficient and cost-effective resources to advance our clients' scheduling and economic objectives. Our attorneys regularly work with key government officials at the regional level, as well as with the federal agencies and congressional committees in Washington, D.C. that oversee the regions.  Unlike firms with single offices that are often distant from projects, we have offices in many locations around the country, with a particular focus in the West and Alaska. We know the communities and the politics that affect project development and are prepared to handle every developer and project's legal needs to ensure the best prospects for success.